discusmike
Omono
Are they rhode island reds or copper marans?nice flock n fertilizer
Collected white oak advice
- Thread starter Aeast
- Start date
Aeast
Shohin
Actually they are partridge rock bantams, very docile little birds.
JosephCooper
Shohin
Yes, definitely set the structure now, and get the Oak going for next year.
Aeast
Shohin
Nothing special on the collection, trenched around and cut a large tap root. I did end up bare rooting then potting. Honestly there weren't many roots but it seems to be recovering well and filling the pot with fine roots. Maybe I just got lucky.
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
I'm surprised nobody has said to allow those 3 branches to run wild, to start building girth on the primary branches.
Aeast
Shohin
Thanks gearhead, thats what I'm wondering. Should I at least wire them In a direction so they just don't grow straight up?
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
if it was mine I would wire it up, and let those primary branches go wild for a year or two.
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Congrats on survival of this one. Good job
. Was too late but if this ones tree would have saved low sprout as second trunk. Study native oaks growth habits as inspiration. Also if able to check live stream archives at Mirai Live as Ryan has worked a couple oaks there. Very instructive and inspiring.
. Was too late but if this ones tree would have saved low sprout as second trunk. Study native oaks growth habits as inspiration. Also if able to check live stream archives at Mirai Live as Ryan has worked a couple oaks there. Very instructive and inspiring.Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Stiff bigger Oak branches do not bend well
. Even at 1/8" nearly stiff as iron. Method of cutting off at conveniently directed(aimed)bud node is best means to redirect direction of growth and carefully wire these before completely hardened off(lignified).
Aeast
Shohin
Thanks for the advice everyone, would now be a decent time to either wire or cut to a lower bud?
Aeast
Shohin
Here's an update on this oak as of today. Repotted and wired. Comments welcome!
Aeast
Shohin
Should I continue to let the 3 leaders thicken, or chop and start to build direction and taper? Should I keep all 3 or remove one?
AaronThomas
Omono
LOL what's it with chickens and bonsai... My bird sits in my cypress pot all day long.
I think i would run that that top right leader.... though Id bet many will advise to chop due to the straight trunk.
Cant wait to see what you decide. Really like this tree!
Aeast
Shohin
No idea, mine always ate the substrate, must have been the perfect size grit for them.
I'm hoping someone will chime in on the chop or no chop?
I'm hoping someone will chime in on the chop or no chop?
AaronThomas
Omono
Hmmmmm... weird
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
I'll bite. 3 top sprouts all at same level(Meh!). 2 below bar branches. All is not lost yet. Would keep center top sprout as permanent/cut above first Rt branch/begin bending it to be interesting apex. Keep small Rt lower branch as permanent. Use all others as trunk builders for several years. Trim branches of sacrifices to prevent shading of keepers as needed. Hope for other lower branches to sprout in useful spot(s).
.
Aeast
Shohin
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate the input.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
First off, quit with the wire. Wire is mostly for pines and secondary branching on deciduous trees. It does little good (and potentially a lot of harm) on bigger branches on deciduous trees. Branching on deciduous trees is best accomplished with "clip and grow" to build branches--this is ESPECIALLY true with oaks. Wiring creates rounded, smooth curves on thicker deciduous shoots--that look strange and unconvincing.
You make a bonsai out of an oak to capture a rugged, aged appearance--which is why you collected the trunk in the first place. Smooth curves are not dramatic and don't fit.
I don't think this is going to work very well for a "broomish" tree. The top branching is developing into twin, uninteresting apexes. The transition between the branches and the trunk is weird and probably isn't going to get any better....
I would choose the right hand shoot as the "grow ahead" apex branch. I would eliminate ALL of the others at this point. I'd allow the remaining shoot to extend with no intervention for another three or four year to begin to match the main trunk's diameter. When that is done, I'd chop it back to two inches and wait for buds to pop on the trunk--During the grow out period, you can also hope for shoots farther back down the trunk. If one or two or three appear, they could be the start of branching, but they have to be reasonably placed-not from the main chop site...
When and if those buds appear lower down, encourage them to grow OUT, not up. That means gently manipulating the shoot every so often into a more lateral position. Oaks tend to push growth UP and not out. You have to push it flatter.
This is a long term project--like 5-10 years. It will require patience.
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Aeast
Shohin
Harsh, but I like it. Thanks for the insight. I'll head your advice. So without wire, how do you encourage branches to grow in the direction you want?? I repotted this tree and thus drastically changing the planting angle, those leads were directly in line with the trunk.
